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Towards iTV applications’ portability across digital terrestrial television

frameworks

Conference Paper · October 2007

DOI: 10.1109/SOFTCOM.2007.4446096 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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 Towards iTV applications’ portability across Digital Terrestrial Television
frameworks
Alessandro Andreadis, David Baldo, Giuliano Benelli, Giovanni Luca Daino
University of Siena, Department of Information Engineering
Siena, Ita
E-mail: {andreadis, baldo, benelli, daino}@[Link]

this document presents the technological approach and the

Abstract: In the heterogeneous scenario of standards supporting
the deployment of Interactive Television, interoperability seems very early result.
to be the key issue to grant a deeper market penetration of the
Digital Television in everyday life as well as adequate return of
investments to the actors involved in the value chain. This paper 2. THE iTV FRAMEWORK
presents an innovative architecture to support application
interoperability across different frameworks (i.e. DVB-T, ISDB- The new concept of television introduced by the
T, ACAP, ISDTV, etc.) based on GEM standard, promoting the digitalization of processes provides users with the chance to
implementations of iTV XML-based application available interact with applications (content, information, services),
worldwide. The theoretical approach introduced in the
deployed through the broadcast channel. Making use of the
document will be evaluated in a real learning scenario, both in
Europe and in Brazil; the paper presents preliminary results in return channel (V90/92 modem, xDSL, …) the user will be
terms of functionalities and user interface to be evaluated and able to interact with the information source, customizing
tuned, according to the User Centered Design approach. contents and/or interacting with the program he’s viewing. As
a result, Digital TV is expected to provide the following
benefits to the users:
1. INTRODUCTION • more programs will be available (up to 8 digital channels
will be allocated in one analog TV channel)) supporting
The worldwide evolution of the TV framework towards a multi-purpose TV provisioning;
digital platforms leaded to the deployment of new standards, • enhanced quality (digital transmission is more efficient
rules and players on the broadcasting stage. Despite and is less influenced by echoes and interferences,
innovation and advantages introduced by the digital respect to analogue transmission);
television versus the analog one was largely shared, the iTV • the chance to get access to services (for citizen and
standardization processes followed different paths in different customers), actually available only on the Internet
locations. As a result, the interactive TV panorama is platform;
scattered in several different broadcasting methodologies as • a reduced electro-magnetic pollution, since digital
well as in different interactivity middleware. Whether in transmission requires less power than the analogue one.
Europe the scene was dominated by the DVB-MHP platform,
in Japan the ISDB-T framework gained the role of reference 2.1 THE EUROPEAN DVB-MHP FRAMEWORK
standard for the implementation of interactive applications, as
well as ACAP in United States. In such a heterogeneous The DVB-MHP platform defines a transport system, an
scenario, the interoperability issue arises to be the most execution environment and a set of API (Application
challenging one. Applications developed for the European Programming Interfaces) to support the development and
framework, indeed, are actually not deployable in any other broadcasting of iTV application all over Europe.
broadcasting context, because both the broadcasting and the Figure 1 presents the European overall architecture to support
interactive middleware refer to different standards. This iTV service definition, deployment and usage.
paper aims to introduce methodologies, process schemas and
a case study to prove that interoperability may be
accomplished through an integrated iTV platform supporting
applications that will run on different platform worldwide
(Brazil, Europe, North America, Japan), granting new
opportunities for all the players involved in the value chain,
both in Brazil and in Europe. Research has been carried on
within the BEACON project (Brazilian European Consortium
for DTT Services), an IST project founded by the European
Community within Framework Program Six (FP6), of whom
 also adopted the same standard for their transport system.
DVB and ISDB also provide for other video compression
methods to be used, including JPEG and MPEG-4, although
JPEG is only a required part of the MPEG standard. As for
the modulation, ISDB-T supports COFDM with QPSK
/QAM in VHF and/or UHF band.
• H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) as the video and audio coding
standard for supporting HDTV 1080i video for fixed TV sets
and LDTV for mobile terminals.
• Ginga as middleware standard. Ginga architecture is based
on an execution engine called Ginga-J integrated with a
presentation engine called Ginga-NCL. This way it provides
support to a declarative language called NCL (Nested
Context Language) and to a subset of the Java language that
Figure 1 – Interactive TV overall architecture is compatible with the GEM specification [4] (Java TV,
JMF, Personal Java, DAVIC and HAVI APIs).
Contents, TV programs and services are compressed and As for the middleware, the main issue lays on the European
multiplexed in compliance to DVB standard [1] to create a adoption of MHP standard client side. As the MHP only
transport stream to be broadcasted to the users. Different defines the transmission of MHP-applications over DVB-
channels may be used to distribute contents: based networks, the MHP could not be applied "as-it-is" to
• the terrestrial channel (DVB-T), enabling standard other networks like e.g. the American cable network, the
analogue (Yagi-Uda) antennas to receive contents; Japanese Digital environment and the Brazilian ISDTV
• the satellite channel (DVB-S), requiring dedicated broadcasting network. To allow the use of MHP in non-DVB
parabolic antennas to receive the info; networks, the GEM specification was created. It removes all
• the cable channel (DVB-C), for specific usage in DVB-specific parts from MHP, and is now the basis for a
dedicated cabled infrastructures; number of new platform developments. The ITU calls this
• the mobile channel (DVB-H), requiring mobile devices new API "Recommendation ITU-T J.202," while the DVB
equipped with dedicated tuner and antennas. calls it "Globally Executable MHP," or "GEM" for short. The
Through the proper channel, the application is broadcasted to following platforms are defined, which base on/extend GEM:
users, and is downloaded into the Set-Top-Box (the only add- • the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), the open, multi-
on device required to get access to digital contents) to be platform middleware specification develop by the DVB
executed when the user needs it. Each Set-Top-Box, project;
supporting DVB-T/S/C broadcasting, is equipped with a • the OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP), which is an
network connection (i.e., return channel) to allow interactions ITV middleware software layer for US cable;
with the information content, to get personalized contents and • the ARIB B.23 specification from Japan's ARIB;
service customization. • the Advanced Common Application Platform (ACAP), the
North American ATSC middleware standard for terrestrial
3. APPROACHING INTEROPERABILITY: GEM broadcast;
• BD-J the Java-platform for the Blu-ray disc;
As formerly stated, the DVB-MHP platform [2] represents • Ginga-J, the middleware to be adopted in the Brazilian
the European choice in terms of technological framework to framework.
support interactivity, but it was not the only available GEM is basically a global solution based on DVB-MHP 1.0.2
solution. The Brazilian government, for example, has and adopted by ATSC/CableLabs, DVB, ARIB and ISDTV.
recently decided to set up a customised ITV standard to be The main results of this agreement are MHP (OCAP), MHP
adopted in the Brazilian country: ISDTV, International (ARIB), Blu-ray (BD-J) and Ginga (ISDTV). As all these
System for Digital TV [3]. ISDTV will be based on the platforms are based on the common GEM-core, and it is
Japanese ISDB-T broadcasting technology and will use a possible to write Java-applications running in interoperable
customized middleware called Ginga-J. In a technological way on all these systems. So, GEM is the subset of common
perspective, the decision of Brazilian Government to parts of all these technologies using the MHP API as the
establish the ISDTV standard leads to the adoption of the reference API.
following subsystems: Figure 2 outlines the concept of GEM.
• ISDB-T as broadcasting standard. ISDB-T is maintained by
the Japanese organization ARIB and is based on MPEG-2
video and audio coding as well as the transport stream
described by the MPEG-2 System standard. ATSC and DVB
 developed and proposed a new SI, but it was not yet decided
if the Brazilian SI will be used or if will be adopted the
ISDB-T or DVB-T SI.
4. to integrate the Content Management System and the
overall Application Manager.
Due to the Brazilian choice of ISDTV, the whole platform
will be designed on the basis of a new architectural model
[5], presented in figure 3.

Figure 2 – The GEM concept

4. CASE STUDY

An interesting chance to evaluate the opportunity to achieve

application portability through the adoption of the GEM
standard, is provided by the BEACON project [5], aiming to
develop a micro XML browser to foster convergence towards Figure 3 – System architecture to support interoperability
IP service infrastructures, enabling innovative tLearning
services fruition and enhancing their user-friendliness. The process of developing the applications mock-ups will be
As for the broadcasting, the solution we have identified refers prepared enabling the validation of concepts. In this light,
to the adoption of an authoring tool based on XML two tests/evaluations will be carried out in Europe (Italy and
technology. Consequently the interactive services that are Spain) and Brazil. To test and prove the interoperability
developed with this technology are only text (flat XML files) achieved results, the deployment process will take place on
and resources (images, audios,…). During the emission, with the basis of the following steps:
the set of interactive services, a micro browser (tmPlayer) is 1. “in factory testing” on DVB chain in Europe, mostly at
transmitted and allocated in the Set Top Box; the micro Siena University laboratory;
browser is able to analyse and parse XML information for 2. “in factory testing” on SBTVD chain in Brazil, at
converting to MHP code. Mackenzie and Paraiba University laboratories (for the
As a result, the integration process we propose is based on purpose the Universities will also utilize the system
the following steps: implemented at Fatima broadcasting premises)
1. to enhance tmPlayer to convert the XML information to 3. final deployment in Brazil, at Fatima premises in a real
GEM code. Being Ginga middleware fully compatible with broadcasting scenario [6].
GEM standard, this will grant that learning application The testing scenario we’re facing involves a learning process
designed for GEM will be properly working once Ginga to support Brazilian students to get access to the public
specification will be released and implemented on STBs; University. Although e-learning is an all-encompassing term
2. to incorporate the GEM 1.1 features (GEM based on MHP used in reference to ‘learning through any electronic device’,
1.1) to the new tmPlayer version; it is most commonly used for computer-enhanced learning.
3. to develop a common application, which can be able to As a subset of e-learning, ‘tLearning’ [7] or ‘learning through
generate DVB-SI and ISDTV-SI, obtaining another interactive digital television’ (IDTV) can prove highly
interoperable solution. Requirements for this step arise from beneficial to people living in regions where access to
the consideration that both ISDB-T (and consequently internet-enabled computers is significantly low.
ISDTV) and DVB-T uses the object carousel format (and this Research reveals that the large majority of today’s
has also been adopted by OCAP and ACAP), but there are households owns a television rather than a computer. In the
some slight differences in the Service Information features. context of Latin-America these numbers are even more
Service Information gives information about programs and critical: while 95% of the Brasilian households have a
events to the Set Top Boxes. DVB stores this information in a television, less then 20% owns an internet-enabled computer.
set of tables (PMT, EIT, AIT, …). ISDB-T SI is very similar For the lowest economic classes (D and E) access to
to DVB-T SI. The required tables are similar. The only computers or internet is even lower than 2%. The exploitation
remarkable difference is the time format (UTC in DVB and
JTC in ISDB). During the development of the ISDTV was
of this potential is therefore undeniably important for the Television applications will be independent on the
implementation of relevant educational policies. broadcasting framework. The proposed solution is going to
The success and steady growth of tLearning services will be tested in a real learning user scenario both in Europe and
depend primarily on factors as ‘effectiveness’ and ‘reliability’ in Brazil, within the BEACON European project activities.
[8]. These factors in turn depend on The early results of primary tests on the proposed framework
• the development of affordable and easy-to-use consumer validate the designers’ choice in terms of architecture,
access devices (end user terminals and associated open technologies, software modules and usability. A valuable
middleware); expected result will arise from the validation of the proposed
• the suitability of the developed tLearning services – framework in the real broadcasting environment, once Ginga-
which relies on the understanding of the type of learning J standard will be consolidated (and the relative APIs will be
resources and the way people learn at home; deployed) and ISDTV Set Top Box will be available.
• the availability of the technology solutions that enable
and facilitate such developments.
Through the iterative User Centred Design approach, the REFERENCES
proposed platform will support the deployment of user
friendly, interoperable learning applications, taking into [1] ETSI TR 101 154 (V1.4.1): "Digital Video Broadcasting
account national and European specifications in terms of user (DVB); Implementation guidelines for the use of MPEG-2
interface. As a result, the draft interface mock-up that has Systems, Video and Audio in satellite, cable and terrestrial
been designed is presented in figure 4: broadcasting applications".
[2] Digital video broadcasting (DVB); Multimedia Home
Platform (MHP) specification 1.0.3, ETSI Doc. No. ES 201
812 V1.1.1, 2003.
[3] L.F.G. Soares, G. Lemos de Souza Filho: “Interactive
Television in Brazil: System Software and the Digital
Divide” In “Interactive TV: A Shared Experience”,
proceedings of the EuroITV 2007, Amsterdam, 2007.
[4] Digital video broadcasting (DVB); Globally Executable
MHP (GEM), ETSI Doc. No. TS 102 819 V1.3.1, 2007.
[5] Brazilian European Consortium for DTT Services (
BEACON), FP6 IST European project, [Link]
[Link]
[6] BEACON Project, Deliverable D3.1, “DTT System
design”, 2007
[7] M. Baldi, A. De Santis, D. Falcone, E. Gambi, S.
Spinsante: "A T-Learning Platform based on Digital
Terrestrial Television", International Conference on Software
in Telecommunications and Computer Networks, 2006.
Figure 4 – Draft learning interactive template SoftCOM 2006, Sept. 29 2006-Oct. 1 2006 Page(s):347 - 351
[8] D. Trindade dos Santos, D. Terencio do Vale, L. Geraldo
The draft application is going to be tested by real users, to get Pedroso Meloni: "Digital TV and Distance Learning:
feedbacks about contents, usability, timing, user friendliness, Potentials and Limitations"; 36th Annual Frontiers in
etc. Feedbacks will be evaluated to start a new iterative phase Education Conference, Oct. 2006 Page(s):1 – 6.
of design and development, to match user needs and
requirements, before the final deployment. This will take
place both in Europe and in Brazil, granting the achieved
results of iTV application portability across different
broadcasting frameworks.

5. CONCLUSION

The growing diffusion of different standards in the iTV

broadcasting environment (i.e. DVB-T, ISDB-T, ISDTV,
etc.) generated the need for the application interoperability.
This paper introduced an overall architecture based on
Generally Executable MHP (GEM) able to grant that Digital

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